Kind words from clients

(shared with permission)…

I managed to get much work done with your help this year, and [wish to] thank you especially for your compassion, understanding and insightful guidance. You may not realize that you are an amazing person with a gift to move people forward through obstacles and beyond. Thank you for who you are.

R.S. ~ living with depression

My point of this message is to thank you. I did a lot of different programs and there are a couple people who stand out to me a long the way. You were one of them. I still think of you as someone who helped me through my journey immensely. You had a way about you that made me feel loved, cared for and supported. There was something different about you… I could feel that your heart was fully in it. The way that you respected and cared for all of us is truly remarkable. You have such a special soul. Truly I cherish everything that you did for me and that you never gave up on me. I will remember and forever be grateful for you. I just celebrated a year of sobriety [and] I am 8 months into recovering from my eating disorder (purge free!). ..It has been quite a journey and I am so glad that I found you so that I could thank you.

~A client struggling with eating disorders and addictions

It's such a profound feeling to actually be able to look back and see how my time with you is getting me through what's happening now. You made me feel real, and that I'm not broken and crazy, and that it's okay to take care of myself. I'm not really catastrophizing anymore, and I think of life using choices and consequences, rather than shoulds and should nots. 

I am so, so proud of myself. I've been doing so much work over the last year using the tools you gave me, and I've come so far from where I was a year ago, when I was sitting in your office just feeling like a crazy broken mess. 

I want to thank you, for everything. You have made a huge difference in my life, I don't think I will ever be able to thank you enough for what you've done for me. 

Toni ~ living with depression and anxiety

I wasn’t in a very good place when I first met Cara I was revisiting old wounds almost daily. It was like someone with a burnt hand putting that hand back in the fire repeatedly never giving it a chance to heal. At that time I had seen a number of people and for the most part their help was short term and wasn’t getting to the real problem. Thus I didn’t think there was a solution to my problem.

Cara changed my point of view and has given me many tools to deal with both my day to day and long term problems. This is because she truly listens and helps with positive ideas to help you look into what the real problem is. She also understands that this can be difficult and painful work and she is your lifeline during this process.

Her dog Daisy is a wonderful part of her practice and having her in the room was more calming than I thought possible. Many a time just seeing how happy and loved Daisy is helped me see the positive in the world. If you are looking for a safe and comfortable place to learn to deal with your problems this is it.

Over the months I have seen a real change in my life. Thanks to the work I have done with Cara I have learned to say no to people who don’t have my best interests at heart. I have learned to ground myself both before and after uncomfortable and unhealthy situations and thoughts. Cara is also teaching me not to blame myself which is a huge step in my life. Thanks to these things I am functioning better and I lost 50 pounds in a year because Cara has me taking better care of me.

Thank you Cara.

Paul ~ Victim of childhood Sexual Abuse

I had the great good fortune to encounter Cara at a time in my life  when I had just about given up all hope, struggling with alcohol  addiction and undiagnosed mental health issues. Cara was my counsellor  through a six week alcohol rehabilitation program, both individually  and in a group setting, and she was absolutely  instrumental in me  walking out with a renewed sense of self, of hope, of purpose that  continues now into  my third year of recovery. Cara’s approach while  direct was full of compassion, understanding, patience, and insight. In  short, she created a safe place to enter into recovery and self  awareness. To face and confront deeply personal and painful issues. I  recently had the occasion to go back and review the clinical notes of my  time with Cara, they were impeccable, and was actually shocked about  how much I had opened up in her sessions. On an individual level, it was  Cara who identified other mental health issues, and it was on her  recommendation that I pursued them, and  now receive the treatment  necessary. On a group level,  Cara displayed the same non judgemental,  insightful, compassionate approach with a most diverse , and  occasionally challenging , collection of people. Cara is also a skilled  and dedicated advocate for her clients when it comes to dealing with  issues in “the system”.

I still don’t know where this journey  is leading, but it was Cara that cleared the path ahead, pointed me in  the right direction, and instilled the hope and skills to deal with  every day, every step forward as it comes.

Thank you Cara.

Dean R. ~ In recovery, alcohol and PTSD

I've been in therapy with Cara for about a year now, she has helped me immensely with dealing with the emotional trauma of being a survivor of human trafficking. I finally realize what happened to me was NOT my fault and that I am not an object to be owned and abused. It has taken me many years to stop blaming myself. I still have a long way to go, but I now know that anything is possible, and that I can be who and what I want to be.

Olivia ~ human trafficking survivor

Meeting Cara was a pivotal moment for me and working with her has made a very positive impact on my life as a whole. I had tried therapy previously, but didn’t have a great experience and found myself holding back a bit. From the first session with Cara, I got the vibe that there is nothing too awkward to say out loud in the therapy space which really helped me feel comfortable to discuss issues I needed to work through. It’s okay to cry or be grumpy if that’s the kind of day I’m having, but I find we end up laughing a lot too and more times than not I leave in a better mood than when I arrived. After two years of working with Cara, I feel that I have more confidence in myself and I find it easier to manage my anxiety on a day to day basis. I know I still have some work to do, but it’s significantly less difficult to acknowledge this when I know I’ve got the support when I need it, no matter what.

Vicki ~ living with anxiety

Thanks again for all your amazing work with me over the years, you’ve left a lasting impression on me as by far the MOST effective therapist I have ever worked with. I know I still have a lot of work to do (re trauma and relationships.. ) but I’m enjoying the pause I’m in right now and I think the break was necessary. I’ll always be so grateful for how far I have grown from the person I was when I first met you.

Caitlin - living with PTSD and addictions

I have worked with many therapists over the years and until Cara did not find one that I fully trusted - this process did take time but I have grown to trust her completely which only helps the process.  I find that Cara is helping in my daily life.   She is providing me with the tools to get through situations that I never would have been able to before.  She is non-judgmental and works where is needed at the time.  There is no agenda but every session I think I come out a bit stronger or at the very least feeling less lost than I did when I walked in.

B. ~ survivor of childhood sexual abuse and living with anxiety